Twenty years ago, being a "struggling musician" meant you were packed in a van, traveling from city to city with your bandmates, drinking cheap beer, and staying in dirty hotel rooms where you lie on a stained mattress and dream of one day making it big. Today, that is called being in an indie band. Today, that is called being an up-and-comer.

Today, the term "struggle" has taken on new meaning. The Internet has made it possible for anyone to dive head first into a "music career," but it has also lowered the bar. Now, instead of having to really commit to something and grind it out the way artists in the '80s and '90s did, you can just start a half-assed Internet campaign from the comfort of your crusty old computer chair. Now, instead of actually putting in the work, you can just bang away at your keyboard and hope that your big break will come to you.

The Internet has changed music for the better in countless ways, but by basically removing the barrier to entry, it has also opened the floodgates and allowed for a rush of struggle artists to enter the picture. And believe us, the struggle is very real.